Smart act: Jazz and rain, hand in hand

German ensemble, The Jonas Schoen Quartet, get jazzy at German Embassy.

ISLAMABAD:

There were concerns about the rain sullying the Jonas Schoen Quartet’s performance (in collaboration with the Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus, Lahore) at the German Embassy.

“We’ve been thinking about this for a while, since January. I got a call from our counterparts in Lahore. They’re the ones who arranged for the quartet’s tickets to Pakistan,” said Dr Thomas Ditt, First Secretary, Head of Press and Cultural Section, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, also the event’s organiser.

“We had to shift the performance inside. That’s the stage we set up for the performance,” he continued, gesturing to the lawn and a sodden, rain-soaked stage.

However, the general consensus was that the rain accentuated the Jazz performance. Inside, the lounge atmosphere worked with the mood: somewhat decadent; it was relaxed, evocative of stylish 1920s noir and grainy music bars laden with smoke.

The quartet, reminiscent of Paul Whiteman and the likes of Duke Ellington, transported guests to a world that knows no politics; the space and the accompanying rain became romantic. These guys have been around since 1999: Jonas Schoen, Buggy Braune, Pepe Bernsbass and Heinz Lihcius and have won acclaim in German jazz circles. The German Music Critic’s Association nominated the band’s debut album, Niende, for the recording prize. Their second and third albums also earned praise from the public, press and jazz enthusiasts alike.

Their sound is meticulous, disciplined and mature. Jonas Schoen is a beast on the saxophone, playing with gusto and confidence. They left Lahore spellbound and brought their soulful magic to Islamabad’s gloom; finally, some enchantment to the Diplomatic Enclave; finally, a respite from harsher truths of Pakistan’s political landscape.

“I enjoyed the music. My foot was moving throughout the performance. I also love the rain because, you know, it gets so hot here,” said Sidrah Khan- no fan of blazing Pakistani summers- after the concert, when guests arrayed themselves outside for refreshments and much-deserved weather basking.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2011.